There aren’t too many horror films set during Thanksgiving, yet one might think a holiday about eating massive amounts of eating and arguing with relatives is a natural setting for a horror film. While the premise might suggest some promise in BUZZARD HOLLOW BEEF, the execution, sadly, is too undercooked.

A young single mother returns home for the Thanksgiving holiday with her BFF only to find her brother invites a clingy guy she has been dating off and on. Because of an allergy to poultry, the family (who I guess has just moved to the area) end up buying beef at the local butcher. Unbeknownst to them, the beef is actually human and eating it drives the family into a cannibalistic rage!

That premise suggests some familial turmoil, some cool cannibalism, and some maniacal mayhem. Unfortunately, too much of this film is simply people sitting around and talking about their lives in a dull manner. The amateur acting doesn’t spice things up at all and while there are hints of hallucinations brought on by the cannibalism, the bright lighting, wobbly sound, flat camera work, and bland acting ends up undercutting all tension that might have happened.

BUZZARD HOLLOW BEEF is a decent premise and I like the twist the film takes in making the family the maniacs instead of the hillbilly cannibals themselves, but it only looks good on paper. While some low budgeters redeem themselves with some over the top performances, promise of creativity from those in front of or behind the camera, or some decent horror effects, this one doesn’t have any of that. This is a nice try, but doesn’t feel like it was completely thought through by anyone involved.